I wanted Billie to see what teaching Project Ride Smart was like. Today we volunteered at Natomas Park Elementary to help Deanna and Gina with blacktop drills.
Later we met Adrienne at Zocalo’s in Roseville for appetizers. Fun!
Pushkin’s and a movie
This morning, Billie and I grabbed breakfast at Pushkin’s,
then a drink at Starbuck’s, and went to the sitting area outside Tower Theater to eat. Then we saw The Wife with Glenn Close. Excellent movie.
In the evening, Billie made pizza (that’s wine-braised onion):
Jazz evening
Too much fun. Billie and I went to Jazz Night at 4 Seasons Westshore. Thanks to my alley-neighbor Kathie, all of the ladies at our table lived on Crete Island. Yay! My neighbors.
Great music by Westbound Groove.
Soccer morning
Avery.
Sophia.
Sophia plays on a big field and the only patch of shade was FAR away, but worth it. 
Being cute for Grandma:
While Thais was trying to have a conversation with another soccer mom, Carson showed me repeatedly how good he was at crawling behind Mom and over her purse … much to my delight, but maybe not his mom’s.
Chico and walnuts
Today we drove to Chico to have lunch and to explore in some of the shops. 
On the way home, we stopped at Justin’s. He’d taken to day off to work on his landscaping project.
I wanted to check on the walnut trees. There might be a few on the ground…?
A few. The harvest begins!
RVs and dinner
Billie is thinking of sellling her house and buying an RV. This morning, we checked out what’s available around Sacramento.
I walked around fantasizing about buying the tiniest teardrop trailer I could tow behind my Subaru (couldn’t find any) OR buying the most expensive Class A coach on the lot ($386K, discounted $157K btw – woohoo). Never.
La Mesa RV in W Sacramento had a very nice huge indoor showroom.
In the afternoon, we went to Ade’s for dinner. Wonderful shrimp sandwiches.
I really wanted Billie to see Ade’s monkey chair:
Happy Birthday
Today is my 70th. It was a day of rest and relaxation!
Birthday party day 5
Phyllis and Carol left early Monday morning.
Adrienne a little while later.
Billie and I would have the next 24 hours to ourselves. No cooking! Lots of sitting around, resting. And a little cleaning. Billie was great in the kitchen 
and vacuuming the floors. Thank you!
I did SIX loads of laundry! I enjoyed it actually.
What a wonderful birthday. A great way to celebrate my 70th.
Tuesday morning we drove home. And then we did NOTHING.
Birthday party day 4
Thais and Lenin left early this morning. Justin came over to visit before he left. Going on at the same time was a focaccia-making class. Phyl has made this recipe several times already which helped. The biga was started last night.
Each batch made two small round loaves.
The rising dough was so happy in front of the fireplace.
Each person added or subtracted ingredients to individualize their loaf. Something to take with them tomorrow when they leave.
Dinner: Potstickers and Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps. 
Birthday party day 3
A 22-mile stand up paddleboard across Lake Tahoe was supposed to happen today, but the weather created such choppy waters that the Tahoe Fall Classic was canceled.
Later, Billie made lunch. The prosciutto-wrapped asparagus were so good.
This afternoon was the bigger party … lots of food.
Thank you, Justin and Lenin, for doing all the grilling. And thanks to good friends of all ages, I’m so glad you’re here!
Billie, Adrienne, Linda, me, Sophia, Maria, Phyl, Carol, Thais, Kathy
Carson helped me blow out the candles!
I think this artwork by Sophia will go home with her!
This is Avery filming a squirrel he’d lured onto the patio with a trail of potato chips.
Another fun day!
